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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

My favorite Eco Friendly Stroller: The Bumbleride Indie 4 Review

About three months ago, I acquired a Bumbleride Indie 4 and I'm not joking when I say it's changed my life! Between the stroller itself and some of its accessories like the footmuff and non-PVC rain cover, I've been able to stay active with my kids even during a cold and wet Pacific Northwest winter.

If you have been looking for a high quality stroller that will keep your kid warm, dry and be eco-friendly at the same time, this is the one you want!

An Eco-Friendly Stroller

Let's be honest: there are several high performance strollers on the market. None of them, though, can hold a candle to Bumbleride's commitment to using sustainable and healthy materials. The exterior fabric is PET made from recycled water bottles. One stroller worth of fabric uses 14 plastic bottles, which saves our raw resources and keeping waste out of landfills.

The interior fabric is bamboo charcoal. Not only is bamboo a super renewable resource, but has natural temperature regulation and moisture wicking properties - all while being naturally antimicrobial.

The rain cover is made of a non-PVC polymer which allows them to avoid the sketchy chemicals used in PVC production as well as avoid off gassing into your little one while they ride inside.

Not only are their materials awesome, but their strollers are built to last. The longer a family can use the same stroller, the better. Bumbleride helps you extend the lifespan of your stroller by not only being super durable but by making it expandable. Add a mini board to the back of any of their strollers and now big brother or sister can hitch a ride without needing to swap out for a whole new stroller when baby brother or sister comes along. The mini board also makes an ideal place to rest shopping bags!

Fits in my tiny electric car

We drive a 2013 all-electric Ford Focus. The body is essentially the same as the newer Ford Focus models, however the battery that powers the vehicle takes up most of the trunk space. Finding a stroller that fits back there is HARD. Because the wheels on the Indie 4 (as well as the Indie and Indie Twin) come off and reattach really easily, I can pop off the rear tires and the whole thing fits easily in the trunk of my electric Focus - with room to spare!

An all terrain stroller

Between the air filled tires, suspension and the ball bearings in the front wheels this stroller can go anywhere. Going down a dirt road? Shopping at IKEA? Rolling over bricks? Crossing train tracks? The Indie 4 handles all of these and more with grace.

Works with our car seat

Even though our car seat is designed to pair with a different, way less awesome stroller, it still works with the Indie 4. I just swap out one little piece and now I can secure my baby's car seat to our Bumbleride and use it as a full fledged travel system. The rain cover even works when you are using your car seat in conjunction with the stroller.

Accessories make it an all-weather stroller

My last stroller was reserved mostly for use during the summer or inside. If it was wet or cold outside, my baby was going to be wet and cold in the stroller. By contrast - not only does Bumbleride make an awesome rain cover to make it easy to stroll rain or shine, but the liner/footmuff combo is like a little sleeping bag to keep Baby snuggly even when it is cold out. Depending on how cold it is, we may use a blanket with the muff but it keeps the cold air from cutting through the blanket and making him uncomfortable.

It holds a lot!

While I would consider the basket itself "medium" sized, its ability to hold things does not end there. Between the cargo basket, the ability hang long-strapped things over the handles and short strapped things over the cupholder, you can do a lot of errands and still hold all your things plus your drink and the baby!

More reasons I love the Bumbleride Indie 4

Back folds almost totally flat and sits up, too - makes it perfect for babies of all ages

Easy to use brake system

Light enough to take in/out of the car easily without help

Bumbleride Indie 4 in review

There is a Norwegian saying, "There is no bad weather. Only bad clothes." The same principle applies to strollers. If you are looking for a super versatile stroller that you can use in all weather and on all terrain, the Indie 4 is for you. It's really enabled me to spend more of my time walking instead of driving - which is great exercise for both my kids and me - even during the Pacific Northwest rainy season.

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Review post disclosure: I was provided with a Bumbleride Indie 4 stroller in lotus blue for the purposes of testing and reviewing the product for you. All thoughts and photos in this post are my own. See my full review policy for more information.

I loved the stroller we had when B was younger. It did everything we needed it to do so we never need multiple strollers. Love that this one has some great eco-features too like the bamboo and PVC free.

Love the colors of that stroller! Sometimes I miss having a stroller when we're at theme parks or shopping because they hold so much! Also love seeing more and more companies choosing to create their products with the environment in mind!

Hei! I´m considering to order this stroller (I live in Norway and will order it online so haven't really seen it at "live") but I have TFK Joggster twist already and I'm in doubt if i'll just end up with two very similar strollers...I'm looking for a lighter and smaller version of TFK basically....If you are familiar with the TFK can you tell me if you think that there is a considerable size and weigh difference? thanks :)

I'm not familiar with the Joggster Twist. It might be worth pointing out that the Indie 4 is not a jogging stroller. While you can go off road with it, they do not recommend running. If you're looking at it as a non-jogging stroller, I don't think you can go wrong. We've had it for about a year now and it is still my favorite stroller I've ever used.

I'm not familiar with the Joggster Twist. It might be worth pointing out that the Indie 4 is not a jogging stroller. While you can go off road with it, they do not recommend running. If you're looking at it as a non-jogging stroller, I don't think you can go wrong. We've had it for about a year now and it is still my favorite stroller I've ever used.

Hi, I'm Carissa! I want to help you make healthier choices for your family that are both BEAUTIFUL & DELICIOUS! My life is proof positive that being green doesn't have to be bland or boring! Read more...

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